William Barron was born in Stamfordham, Northumberland, 25 Mar 1756,[1] the son of David and Mary Barron.[2] He died in Geneva, Seneca Twp, Ontario Co NY,[3] 14 Jul 1833.[4]

He was married in Simonburn, Northumberland, on 2 Jun 1785, to Margery Wilkinson.[5]

Margery Wilkinson was born in Simonburn, 3 Dec 1761, the daughter of William and Rebekah (Charlton) Wilkinson. A newspaper article says she died 6 Jun 1855.[6]

We have not found a record of William Barron’s arrival in America, but it was about 1800.[7] An Ontario Co NY deed dated November 1801 at which he was definitely in America.[8] Mary was born in New York after the 1800 census.[9] A later deed above gives William’s wife’s name as Margery, which agrees with the newspaper article.[10]

They were the only family of my ancestors to come to America after the Revolutionary War, that is, as far as I know.

Part of son Thomas’s obituary states that William “emigrated to America from England in the first year of this century, accompanied by his wife and two children, one of whom (David) still survives in the 93rd year of his age. The old people soon found their way in 1801 to this comparative wilderness, coming by water route up the Mohawk and its tributaries through the Seneca Lock Navigation Co.’s channel to Seneca Lake. They located on the very farm where, a year later, the subject of this notice was born. Their first habitation was a log cabin with two small aperatures for a single pane of glass each. Thomas Barron continued in occupancy of this farm all through his long, contented and uneventful life.”[11]

William Barron was naturalized in Ontario Co NY in 1812.[12] This was possibly not coincidentally just before the outbreak of hostilities with England.

In 1810 the family was in Geneva NY: Seneca Twp, Ontario Co NY, p 231. William Barren, 11101/01001. In 1820, William’s name was written or indexed incorrectly, but the neighbors and the children are consistent: Seneca Twp, Ontario Co NY, p 271, William Barnes [sic]: 001201/00001; daughter Mary was married in 1817 to John Armstrong. By 1830 married son Thomas was with William and Margery: Ontario Co NY, Seneca Twp, p 51. William Barron, 2000100001…/0000100001… In 1840, Margery was with her son: Ontario Co NY, Seneca Twp, Thomas Barron: 102011/000100100001. In 1850 she was still in Thomas’s household: Ontario Co NY, Seneca Twp, Marjory Barron, 88 England.

Margery (Willkinson) Barron is one of the few women of her day who has been found in a document relating to her activities: the 1848 “Ontario County Fair, Premiums on Non-Enumerated Articles, Coverlid – Mrs. M. Barron, Seneca; $1.”[13] Since none of her daughters-in-law had the initial M, she must be the one who won this prize. The Mrs. M implies either a widow or a husband with the initial M.

The children of William and Margery were:

1. William BARRON was born in 1787 in Northumberland. William died probably before 1860. About 6 May 1816 or 1818 or later, he married Sarah WATERS in Ontario Co NY. Born in 1793 in PA, Sarah died probably before 1860. According to their 1830 and 1840 censuses, they had four sons and one daughter. The youngest was with them in 1850:

i, ii, iii. Sons, (ca 1820/1835) who may have included David and John of LeRoy Twp, Genesse Co NY

iv. William (ca 1828-)

v. daughter (1820/1825)

2. David BARRON was born on 15 Aug 1800 in Northumberland. David died in Seneca, Ontario Co NY, on 3 Oct 1895; he was celebrated for many years as the oldest man who had ever lived in Geneva NY. On 22 Mar 1827, David married Sarah SHADBOLT in Wheatland Co NY. Born on 8 Dec 1801 in Stillwater, Saratoga Co NY, Sarah died in Seneca, Ontario Co NY, on 20 Feb 1882. They had the following children, all of whom died without marrying:

i. Martha (1828-1845)

ii. George (1830-1835)

iii. John (1832-1835)

iv. Mary (1837-1852)

v. David W (1843-1844)

3. Mary BARRON was born in 1801 in NY. Mary died in Clayton Co IA, in 1879. On 4 Mar 1817 when Mary was 16, she married John ARMSTRONG, son of John ARMSTRONG & Barsheba COLEMAN, in Ontario Co NY. Born after Feb 1787 [prob ca 1789] in NJ, John died in [probably Caledonia,] Grand River, Ontario, in 1852. They had the following children:

i. Mary (1817-1893)

ii. John Jr (1819-1890)

iii. Harriet (~1821-after 1880)

iv. Matilda (1822-1853)

v. Margery Ann (~1829-ca 1848)

vi. Rebecca (~1832-after 1880)

vii. William B (~1832-1850)

4. Thomas BARRON was born ca 16 Sep 1802 probably in Geneva, Ontario Co NY. Thomas died in Geneva, on 17 Sep 1892; he was 90. On 4 Feb 1827, he married Margaret WATSON. Born ca 1803 in Ireland, Margaret died in Ontario Co NY, on 26 Mar 1863. They had the following children:

i. William W (1827-1908)

ii. John (ca 1829-1905)

iii. George (1840-1842)

Thomas’s obituary said he was married twice. The second wife may have been Jane Barron, d 5 Dec 1870, ae 71 yrs, 6 mos, whose name was recorded in early Geneva records.[14]

[1]“Mother Coulson Celebrates Eightieth Birthday, Friday,” La Harper, LaHarpe IL, 22 Nov 1940, original clipping. The clipping from the LaHarper, edited at the time by Alice (Armstrong) Coulson’s son, gives details on all the children of John Armstrong Jr, as well as his two wives, his mother and her family. This article was written during the lifetime of John Franklin Armstrong and saved in the family.

[2]Stamfordham Parish records of Northumberland (——?) located by Ramona Duff, Oct 1988, at SLC. She found the birth records for nine children of David and Mary Barron, dissenters.

[3]The names Geneva and Seneca seem to be used interchangeably in 19th century records.

[5]Simonburn Parish Records of Northumberland Co (films #252551, 252552, 252572, 252553), located by Ramona Duff, Oct 1988, at SLC. Ramona wrote, “There was a christening for a William Wilkinson on 13 Apr 1726, son of Matthew Wilkinson and Margery Thirlway, but there were 3 William Wilkinsons born about the same time, so I don’t know if this one was ours.”

[7] From Geneva Courier 1 Oct 1879: “The English Settlement.” Mr. P. F. Bill, of Seneca, sends us the following list of persons who formed what was known as the English Settlement, in the town of Seneca, (Number Nine, first range) about the first year of this century. They were given him by Mr. Foster S. Watson, from memory. Mr. Watson is now in his 80th year, having been born in January, 1800. The list is as follows: Zacharia Garbutt… (1818). The following were out of the Settlement, but near by: John Charlton, William Whirlow, Robert Oxtoby, Thomas Griswold, William Barron, Thomas Young.

[8]Ontario Co NY Deed Book, File 12, p. 312, 23 Nov 1801.

[9]1850 Fulton Co IL; 1870 Clayton Co IA.

[10]Ontario Co NY Deed Book, File 52, p. 307, 7 Apr 1829, 1830.

[11] From Geneva Gazette 16 September 1892: “Mr. Thomas Barron of Seneca has reached the advanced age of 90 years, and is probably the best-preserved man of his years in Ontario county. As evidence we cite the fact that one day last week he walked across lots fully a mile and climbed a five-rail fence to call on his neighbor, Mrs. John Reed, and returned by the same route, all within two and one-half hours. He was not over-wearied by the journey either. His brother, David, is two years older, but shows more perceptibly his great age. It is hoped both will remain with us many years. Since the above was penned, we learn with regret that Mr. Barron has suffered a stroke of paralysis, which threatens a fatal result.”

From Geneva Gazette 23 September 1892: “Obituary – Our venerable townsman, Thomas Barron, passed away at an early hour last Saturday morning. In a “personal” last week, we referred to his advanced age of nearly ninety years, and to his achievement of walking a mile, climbing fences, etc., in visiting a neighbor; also to the fact that a day or two subsequently he was stricken down with paralysis. Whether the attack was produced from over exertion on the occasion referred to, or from other causes incident to extreme age, we have not learned. The sad denouement of his death is chronicled. The deceased was the youngest of three brothers, whose father emigrated to America from England in the first year of this century, accompanied by his wife and two children, one of whom (David) still survives in the 93rd year of his age. The old people soon found their way in 1801 to this comparative wilderness, coming by water route up the Mohawk and its tributaries through the Seneca Lock Navigation Co.’s channel to Seneca Lake. They located on the very farm where, a year later, the subject of this notice was born. Their first habitation was a log cabin with two small aperatures for a single pane of glass each. Thomas Barron continued in occupancy of this farm all through his long, contented and uneventful life. Two sons were born to him, both still living, namely John and William, the latter succeeding by occupancy to the farm. Wm. J. Barron, proprietor of the public sheds, is a nephew of deceased — son of his oldest brother long since departed. The deceased was a well-read, well-intentioned man. Up to 1854 he was in politics a pronounced Whig. When the bulk of the Whig party at the North became merged or absorbed into the Republican party, Mr. Barron followed the course of many Whigs like the Roses, the Nicholases, the Doxes, Slosson, Kipp and others, and found natural affiliations with the Democratic party, to which he was faithful to the last. Mr. Barron was very kind-hearted, of a jovial nature, and enjoyed the esteem of every neighbor and acquaintance. He had been twice married and survived both his marital companions. His funeral took place Tuesday last and was very largely attended–interment in Glenwood cemetery.”